Monday, February 28, 2011

In 1775 Lord Dunmore, the Royal Governor of Virginia, was in a separate position. Several hundred armed rebels controlled the streets and fields of Virginia. Dunmore had been forced to flee the the capital of Williamsburg for the safety of the naval town of Norfolk, Virginia. Williamsburg was a nest of patriots and Dunmore no longer felt it was safe for him to stay there. His loyal forces had been reduced to desertion and harassment to about 300 troops. In desperation, Lord Dunmore called on all able bodied men to assist him in the defense of the colony, including the slaves of rebels. These blacks were promised their freedom in exchange for their service in the Army. This was controversial at the time, especially among Loyalist slave holders who had feared a mass slave rebellion. Some thought Dunmore had gone mad. Still, this strategy was extremely successful. Within a month Dummore had raised up 800 soldiers.

The Virginia Proclamation immediately replied to Dunmore's Proclamation with the Virginia Declaration, which denounced his offer of freedom as striking at the foundations of Virginia's society. After decrying Dunmore for filling slaves with false hopes and causing them great suffering. It proceeded to threaten the death penalty to escaping slaves. Lord Dunmore's Proclamation was the first mass emancipation of slaves in American history, and it deserves to be remembered as an important memory in history.

Within a week of Dunmore's Proclamation, over 300 escaped slaves had flocked to his troops in Norfolk. Every week hundreds more arrived, desperate for freedom. Dunmore's desperate ploy had nearly doubed his army in a weeks, and the Patriots were both terrified and incensed by the steady stream of escapees. By any measure, it was a success. Some of these black troops fought in the early battle at Kemp's landing, where unprepared patriots were surprised by Dunmore's men and fled quickly.

Dunmore hurried to have blacks trained in the basics of musket shooting and formation marching, and had special uniforms made for them with the provocation insignia "Liberty to Slaves" embroidered on their breasts. Some of these first recruits fought in the fall of the south side of Norfolk and worked extensively preparing the fortifications at Great Bridge.

To read more of this story, go onto the website link Black Loyalists: Our History, Our People to learn the rest of the story. This particular website is where I derived this information from.

(Hebrews 11:1-3) "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

(Hebrews 10:38) "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him."

We live in an age which some people make reference to as an "age of uncertainty." We are beset by troubles on a daily basis. Anytime you watch the news on television, pick up a newspaper, or read the news online you read about wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, riotings, and the list continues. Consider the events that have taken place since January 1, 2011. The Arizona shooting rampage took place on January 8, we've had earthquakes in New Zealand and Chile, there were protests in Egypt which forced Hosni Mubarak out as president of Egypt, etc. As of now there are protests taking place in Libya where the opposition is calling for Moammar al-Gadhfi to step down. There are presently protests from the teachers' unions in Wisconsin, etc. because the governor is asking the teachers to contribute more to their pensions and healthcare benefits. Gasoline, gold, and cotton prices are spiraling. There's all kinds of strife and tension in this world. It's easy to allow ourselves to focus on those things and not see the whole picture. I want to declare that God isn't taken by surprise by all the tumultuous events taking place in our world. Matthew 24:6-7 states these things are to come to pass.

Many people who claim to be Christian or claim to know God have been presented with a false view by the Charismatics on television such as TBN, for example on what faith is all about. I recall watching television evangelists such as Oral Roberts as a young boy preach on faith healing and seed faith when it comes to material wealth. When I was young, I used to think of faith many times as relating to divine healing. Make no mistake about it. God is a God of healing. I'm not diminishing that point. However, God's not a Santa Claus you can manipulate to give you what you want whenever you want it. There's no magic formula when it comes to faith. God didn't say just believe and you'll be blessed with prosperity and divine health. There have been those in the Charismatic movement that have preached that. However, faith goes much deeper than just believing God for divine healing or meeting one's financial needs. Faith is a way of life. Our lifestyle should bear witness that we trust in God. The way we live, our outlook on life and eternity should be a witness to the world that we trust the Lord.

James 2:20 states that faith without works is dead. There are many who claim to trust the Lord but there are no works to show that they believe in God. What is the point in saying that you are saved and trust in Jesus if your faith won't take you to church on Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening, etc. What is your faith worth if it won't cause us to read our Bible, pray, and participate in Godly things? Faith will produce some things in our lives. Faith will give us a desire to want to attend church, read God's word, pray, and serve the Lord. Some people label preachers as legalist if they preach holiness standards to their flock in the pews. James 2:20 doesn't state that works save a man. It says that if a man claims to have faith but there's no outward evidence of an inward working of the Holy Spirit, then that person's faith is dead. It's not genuine. Scriptural faith will be manifested in a Christian's life in some fashion.

In saying all this, I'm not insinuating that God's children don't struggle when it comes to trust God at times. There are times when God's children will endure hardship, valleys, trials, etc. There will be times when you as a child of God won't understand the circumstances surrounding you. That's why God says that the just shall live by faith. God's people can't live by knowing and understanding everything that takes place in our lives. There will be days when you won't understand and be able to figure God out. There will be days when there will be situations that won't make sense to you. However, God knows the situation and what's taking place. Nothing takes God by surprise.

Those that are saved by God's grace and have read his word knows that Jesus will return to this earth one day. Prior to Jesus' second coming, God's people will be raptured out of this earth and for seven years there will be a period called "The Great Tribulation" where God will unleash His wrath upon this sinful world. Those that are saved know that this life will one day pass away. Philippians 3:20 states that our conversation is in Heaven. We're not to allow our lives to be wrapped around this life or on this earth. We're very guilty many times in allowing our lives to be wrapped up in this present world. Our bodies and our minds are still mortal. We must remember that we're to look for the Lord's appearing. If we will do so, the things of this world won't bother us the way that they do if we recognize that life is just a vapor. The past few weeks gasoline prices have skyrocketed and it's very easy to dwell on that subject. Those that are on a tight budget can allow themselves to worry about the future and how they will make it if gas prices keep escalating. I'll admit it can be depressing if you dwell on it. We must remember God knew that gas prices would rise $3.50 a gallon long before anyone in this world did. Nothing surprises God.

If we're going to live victorious lives, we must live by faith. We must trust God and remember that life isn't wrapped up in this present world's system. I know what I said sounds easy, and I'm guilty myself of allowing myself to be influenced by this present world. However, if we will remember life is about eternity, it will change our mindset about the troubles of this present world. We can live victorious in spite of what the Devil throws our way. However, we won't do so unless we learn to trust in Him. I'm saying this to myself as well. I fail numerous times to trust in God. If we're going to move forward in times like these, we must trust God.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

This song was performed at the Will Rogers Auditorium on July 7, 1973 in Fort Worth, Texas. The Rambos were singing in concert that day. One of the songs they sang at this concert was "He Changed My Tears to Showers of Blessings." They did a great job singing this song. I hope it's a blessing to you.

Friday, February 25, 2011

(USA Today February 25, 2011) A 20-year old Saudi Arabian student in Texas allegedly tried to acquire powerful bombmaking material and identified targets that included the Dallas home of former president George W. Bush, according to federal court documents unsealed Thursday. Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari is scheduled to make his first court appearance today in Lubbock, Texas. He is charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. If he's convicted, he will face a maximum punishment of life in prison.

A North Carolina chemical company alerted federal agents about Aldawsari on February 1, after he attempted an online purchase of 10 bottles of the toxic chemical phenol. The chemical can be used to make the explosive trinitrophenol, also known as TNP, court documents say. The company's contact with federal agents set in motion a fast-moving investigation that uncovered emails, blog posts and a journal that expressed Aldawsari's desire to wage a personal war again the U.S., according to documents. He has been enrolled at South Plains College near Lubbock on a student visa. According to excerpts from the journal, written in Arabic, indicate that Aldawsari spent years preparing for what he hoped would be a campaign of terror ending in his own martyrdom, the documents say. After mastering the English language, learning how to build explosives and continuous planning to target the infidel Americans, Aldawsari allegedly wrote, "It is time for jihad."

There was no indication in the documents or from U.S. officials that Aldawsari had formal training or contact with overseas or domestic terror groups to carry out the attacks. Terror analysts said the case represents a growing challenge for U.S. security officials and police to detect lone operatives before they strike.

The U.S.'s immigration policy must be changed. When we allow immigrants or students to come on a Visa that are from Saudi Arabia or other parts of the Middle East, we're allowing potential terrorists to come to this country? As of this moment, the United States shouldn't except immigrants or college students from the Middle East. Most of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. It's asinine that our government would allow a college student from Saudi Arabia to come to this country on a visa given the fact that Saudi Arabia finances terrorism. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) must conduct a thorough background check on those who come to our shores. The federal government needs to stop allowing foreigners from the Middle East to come to America given the fact we're at war with Islam.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

The Obama Administration made the decision yesterday to not use the "Defense of Marriage Act" or DOMA when the Department of Justice or DOJ argues court cases. There's been political pressure for some time to repeal DOMA simply because it falls out of line with the gay agenda. The Defense of Marriage Act doesn't recognize same-sex marriage and as a result opponents such as Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) desire to see the law repealed. President Obama supposedly has had misgivings over DOMA. He claims his views in regards to same-sex marriage are evolving. He states he supports civil unions for homosexuals. I guarantee you he'll be on record offering his full support for same-sex marriage before too long.

The reasoning behind the Obama administration's decision not to use the Defense of Marriage Act in court cases is due to Section 3 of DOMA which defines marriage for marital purposes as a union between a man and a woman. It was ruled unconstitutional by a federal district court judge in July 2010. The decision was appealed in October 2010. Yesterday Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the justice department would cease defense of Section 3 under the direction of President Obama, who declared that Section 3 of the 1996 Defense of Marriage was unconstitutional. However, the administration is legally bound to enforce the law unless Congress repeals the law or the courts declare it unconstitutional.

What kind of precedent does the court system have to justify the Defense of Marriage Act to be unconstitutional? What kind of precedent do the courts have in saying homosexuals have the right to marry? The court decisions in Massachusetts (2003) and California (2008), for example, are man-made laws which have no legal defense. America's laws were founded upon the Bible. America's heritage was founded upon the Judeo-Christian tradition. The Holy Bible teaches against sodomy. Sodomy isn't even natural. I discussed in a post on February 4th that nature teaches homosexuality is wrong. Two men nor two women fit together. God designed men and women's anatomy the way He did for a reason: to have a relationship and bear children. God didn't design two men's bodies to have a relationship with one another. That's perverted in that sense. It's the homosexual mafia who's been pushing the homosexual, anti-family agenda down the throats of Americans. It's disgusting. There's no constitutional basis to support same-sex marriage. The judiciary in the last few decades have ignored the Constitution and interpreted the laws to fit their own whims. It's a travesty to see our elected officials supporting a lifestyle which is a perversion. They're doing everything in their power to dismantle this great country. It's a travesty our politicians are bowing down to the wishes of the homosexual community.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Benjamin Banneker was born outside of Baltimore, Maryland in 1731. He was the son of a slave. His grandfather was a member of the royal family of Africa. His grandfather had been a member of the royal family and was wise in agricultural endeavors. His father, Robert was an African slave who purchased his freedom and his mother, Mary, was the daughter of a freed African slave and an English woman. As a young man he was allowed to enroll in school run by Quakers and had excelled in his studies, esp. in mathematics. Soon, he progressed upon the capabilities of his own math teacher and made up his own math problems in order to solve them.

Banneker was a farmer of modest means. However, he lived a life of unusual achievement. In 1753, the young man borrowed a pocket watch from his well-to-do neighbor. He took it apart and made a drawing of each component. He then re-assembled the watch together and gave it back to its owner. From his drawings, Banneker attempted to carve out from wood enlarged replicas of each part. Calculating the proper number of teeth for each gear and the necessary relationships between the gears, he constructed a wooden working clock that kept accurate time and struck the hours for over 50 years.

At the age of 58, Banneker began studying astronomy and began to predict future solar and lunar eclipses. He compiled the emphemeris, or information table, for annual almanacs that were published for the years 1792 through 1797. "Benjamin Banneker's Almanac" was a top seller from Pennsylvania to Virginia and even to Kentucky. In 1791, Banneker was a technical assistant in the calculating and first-ever surveying of the Federal District, which is now Washington, D.C. The "Sable Astronomer" was often pointed to as proof that African Americans were not inferior to white "European Americans". Thomas Jefferson himself noted this in a letter to Banneker.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

(Black Past.org) Prince Whipple fought in the battles of Saratoga and Delaware during the War for Independence. He also was one of twenty men who petitioned the New Hampshire legislature for freedom in 1779. His owner, General William Whipple, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and an aide to General George Washington. Prince Whipple has been identified by some as the African American figure on the painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware. However, there has been some skepticism on whether or not it's true that Prince Whipple was with Washington when he crossed the Deleware River on Christmas Eve 1776.

Prince Whipple was brought from the coast of Africa to the colonial trading center of Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1760 when he was 10 years old. He was enslaved as he grew into manhood. He was a body servant to one of the colony's most influential leaders. In 1779 Prince Whipple was one of twenty petitioners who identified themselves as African men who were taken from their native lands "while but children but incapable of self-defense" now making a plea to the New Hampshire legislature for manumission and for abolition of slavery in New Hampshire. The petition was labeled without legislative action. While the author of the document is unknown, Whipple was literate, as was most of the other petitioners.

Prince whipple married his wife Dinah, on her 21st birthday, which happened to be the date of her manumission, February 22, 1781. Whipple wasn't free until 1784. Prince Whipple died on November 21, 1796, at the age of 46 and is buried with his wife and at least one daughter and a granddaughter near the tomb of his former owner, William Whipple, at North Cemetery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Prince Whipple was born in 1750.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Speaking of budgets, this budget in no way reduces the national debt. According to CNS, if President Obama's budget is implemented, then his budget will double the national debt over the next 10 years. The national debt as it now stands is $13.56 trillion. By the end of 2021, the debt would rise to $26.3 trillion under the White House Budget.

All this talk about reducing the national debt is nothing but a facade whether it be from the Republican Party or President Obama. The House Republicans were originally talking about reducing the deficit by a hundred billion. Now they're looking at reducing the deficit by $60 billion. On Friday the Republican House voted against the bill that wouldn't sliced off $20 billion more dollars from the $60 billion. Those Republicans that voted against the bill were House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and new Tea Party freshmen Kristi Noem (R-SD). Removing $80 billion is still a drop-in-the-bucket when you consider that the last few budgets were running in the trillions. I don't see any real seriousness on the part of any of the elected elite to rein in spending. Our country has indebted itself to China. Before you know it, China will be dictating on how we spend our money. I wouldn't be surprised to see our elected officials selling off some of our land to pay for the debt we owe China. America can no longer remain a free nation unless Congress and the President rein in spending. If they don't make some major concession soon, it will be too late.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Speaking of mob rule, we're seeing an example of mob rule in Wisconsin. On Thursday, teachers claimed they were sick so they could travel to the capital of Wisconsin to protest newly elected Governor Scott Walker's plan to reduce the state budget. There is a multi billion dollar shortfall in Wisconsin. Governor Walker is faced with making major cuts in order to balance the state's budget. The governor's plan calls for teachers to contribute more to their healthcare costs and to their pensions. Also, the governor wants to limit the collective bargaining rights of public employees as well. The teachers union erupted in protest and are shouting some hateful rhetoric such as the one sign that you see above. This is a crisis that an Obama White House loves. Today thousands are protesting in Wisconsin. The labor union AFL-CIO and its spokesman Richard Trumpka have joined in the cause. Also, fourteen Democratic lawmakers have fled the state so they wouldn't have to vote for Governor Walker's new budget bill. Those lawmakers that went AWOL should be impeached!!! I believe it's an impeachable offense. I don't believe impeachment will happen, but I will say that voters who are represented by those 14 Democratic lawmakers should vote them out in the next election. That's inexcusable. It's the duty of our lawmakers, both Democrat and Republican, to be present when a major vote is to take place, esp. concerning the state's budget. I'm tired of all the foolishness taking place with these union mobsters and the Democratic lawmakers.

What really is disturbing is these teachers don't seem to care about the fact that the state is in a financial quandry. Tough decisions must be made. The unemployment rate is high in Wisconsin. The taxpayers are stressed out enough trying to eke out a living. The question that needs to be presented in this debate is it fair to expect the taxpayer to shoulder the burden on the healthcare and pension costs of public employees? The taxpayer funds the state government. Many taxpayers have lost jobs over the past three years. The last thing they need is increased taxation. I'm not opposed to good teachers being paid well and compensated well. I'm not opposed to teachers. I'm not totally opposed to unions, except I'm not sure how as of this writing how I feel about collective bargaining for public employees. I don't have a problem with collective bargaining for private sector industry because the taxpayers for the most part don't finance private industry through taxes. However, it's not right to expect taxpayers to fund all the pensions and healthcare of the teachers when you consider many citizens of Wisconsin are struggling financially themselves. These teachers' unions need to take a look at the private sector and recognize many private sector employees have had to make concessions due to difficult economic times. Why should state employees be exempt from making concessions? That's the question I have to ask.

In 1981 when the air traffic controllers went on strike President Regan fired them. They refused to return to work so he ordered them to be terminated. I believe that Governor Walker needs to offer them some sort of ultimatum to the teachers' union. It's not fair to parents for these teachers to be out striking and shirking their duty in the classroom. They have the responsibility to teach their students. Unless there's another way to fund their pensions and healthcare, then these teachers' unions must make concessions for the good of the economy. Everybody else has to, so why can't these teachers make similar concessions in Wisconsin?

I had originally intended on posting this on Saturday, January 22nd, remembering the tragic anniversary of the Supreme Court case, Roe vs. Wade in 1973. However, I never wrote it. Last night, I watched Glenn Beck on Fox News and his program was about abortion and Planned Parenthood. As a result, I thought it would be fitting to write this post today. Beck aired some clips of Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood. She was racist in her beliefs and she believed in imposing birth control upon blacks and other "misfits" in America. Beck had a guest on his program named Lila Rose, who is a pro-life activist and is founder of pro-life group Live Action. She is noted for a series of campaigns against Planned Parenthood across the country. She was involved in undercover action exposing the sex trafficking of teenagers taking place in Planned Parenthood centers across America. She founded Live Action when she was 15 and continued involving herself with pro-life issues when she was a student at UCLA. She played a major role in exposing the sex trafficking of teenagers at Planned Parenthood across America. Rose has also appeared on "Hannity", "Glenn Beck" and "The O'Reilly Factor" on Fox News.

When the Glenn Beck show began yesterday, he was making a comparison to the issue of abortion today vs. the issue of the institution of slavery in America over a century and a half ago. It's interesting because slavery treated the negro as just property rights of the slave owners. A famously, flawed U.S. Supreme Court decision of 1857, "Dred Scott vs. Sanford", stated the slave didn't inherently possess rights. He was the property of the slave owner. The slave was de-humanized. In the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision of Roe vs. Wade, the baby or "fetus" is just a blob of tissue and isn't a human being until he/she's considered viable or able to live outside the womb. That decision stated women have a right to abort the "fetus" if they so choose to do so. Hence we have the phrase, "A woman's right to choose." However, the fatal Supreme Court decision of 1973 fails to recognize that children are created in the image of God. With the advances of technology since 1973, a sonogram reveals that the "fetus" that's inside the womb of a mother is a live, human being. As a result, technology has rendered the abortion argument that an unborn child isn't a human being a lie. A child is a human being the moment conception takes place. Nevertheless, regardless of technology, we know from God's word that a baby is a human being and nothing that society or politicians can say will change that fact.

During the early part of our nation's history, our country embraced the Judeo-Christian heritage. Our country was built upon Judeo-Christian principles. Christianity gives meaning to life and believes that man's worth is based on the fact that he was created by God. Psalms 51:5 states that in sin did my mother conceive me. Psalms 139:14 states that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Those verses verify that a child in the mother's womb is a live human being. The view that children are nothing more than nuisances that can be aborted if they are an inconvenience is due to the materialist, humanist philosophy that life's value is based upon utility or it's usefulness. If a sonogram determines that a child has Down's Syndrome and will never be able to live a normal life, then why shouldn't the mother have the right to abort her child in that it will be an inconvenience and interfere with her lifestyle. That's the humanist mentality about abortion. One of the things that troubles me is how politicians have relegated abortion to a political issue. It's very foolish.

Years ago when then President Ronald Reagan appointed Sandra Day O'Connor as the first ever woman justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, many religious conservatives were skeptical of her nomination because of her views on abortion. Dr. Jerry Falwell was one in particular who didn't favor Reagan's appointment of O'Connor. The late Senator Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) made the statement that abortion is a non-conservative issue. I didn't agree with Goldwater's "libertarian" views on abortion, but I do agree with the statement that abortion is a non-conservative issue. I'll go a step further: I believe abortion is also a non-liberal issue. Abortion should be a non-political issue altogether. Just as everyone in Congress would agree the old issue of slavery in America should have never happened nor should it ever have been a political issue. During the early days of our country when slavery was being practiced down South, slavery was a political issue. A century and a half later we would all agree that it's asinine that an issue such as slavery was ever a political issue. Blacks were human beings that deserved to be treated like humans just like the whites. I believe every politician in Congress would stand in agreement. Consequently, abortion has been relegated as a political issue. We have two sides staking positions on the abortion issue. The Left favors abortion rights for women and the Right supposedly opposes abortion except in the case of rape, incest, or the mother's life is in danger. The problem with those on the Right is that many of the Republican politicians give lip service to being opposed to abortion because it's a winning issue with them on the conservative base. In other words, they're interested in the issue, but aren't willing to solve the problem. That's why some Republicans or conservative pundits say we shouldn't place much emphasis on the abortion issue because "conservatives" don't have any intention of overturning Roe vs. Wade or banning abortions.

Regardless of the political ideology or bent of a politician regardless whether they are liberal or conservative, both sides of the aisle should be vehemently opposed to abortion and do everything in their power to right this injustice. This is an issue about life. Life transcends politics. The fate of an unborn child shouldn't be decided by those on Capitol Hill or on the judiciary. Abortion shouldn't be an issue any more than slavery should be an issue. Neither side of the political spectrum should favor abortion. Life is more sacred than to relegate it to politics. Abortion is murder and God hates it when we allow this heinous crime to continue. The issue of life should be common sense when it comes to politics. Always choose life.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Dr. Charles Drew was born on June 3, 1904, the son of Richard and Nora Drew and the eldest of five children. Dr. Drew was an individual that happened to excel in almost everything he put his hands to and he did on every level. He would go on in years to come to be a pioneer in the field of medicine. Charles's early interests were in education, esp. in medicine. He was an outstanding athlete. As an adolescent, he was an award winning swimmer and starred Dunbar High School in football, baseball, track and field, winning the James E. Walker Memorial medal as his school's best all-around athlete. After graduating from Dunbar in 1922, he attended Amherst College in Massachusetts where he captained the track team and starred as a halfback on the school's football team, winning the Thomas W. Ashley Memorial trophy in his junior year as the team most valuable player and being named to the All-American team.

After graduating from Amherst, Drew took on a position as biology teacher at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland and also served as the school's Athletic Director. During his two years at Morgan State, he helped turned the school's basketball and football programs into collegiate champions. In 1928 Charles decided to pursue medicine and enrolled at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He was received as a member of the Medical Honorary Society and graduated in 1933 with Master of Surgery and Doctor of Medicine degrees, finishing second in a class of 127 students. He was known for working with blood plasma. For more of the story, clink on the link above.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Agrippa Hull was a remarkable man. He was one of the most remarkable and unnoticed African Americans of the Revolutionary era. He served for six years and two months in George Washington's Continental Army, which earned him a badge of honor for this extended service. However, Hull's impact on shaping abolitionist thought of Tadeuz Kosciuszko, the polish military general for whom he served as an orderly for the last fifty months of the war, is the hidden importance of this young black patriot. Said to be the son of an African prince, Agrippa Hull was born free in Northampton, Massachusetts on March 7, 1759. Little is known of Hull's father, who died when Hull was an infant. His parents were members of the Congregational Church where Jonathon Edwards occupied the pulpit.

Following his eighteenth birthday, Hull enlisted in the Continental Army, where he was assigned as an orderly to General John Paterson of the Massachusetts line, at Paterson's side, Hull witnessed the surrender of British General John Burgoyne at Saratoga, endured the winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge, and was part of the battle of Monmouth Courthouse, New Jersey in June 1778.

For other details about this great patriot, click on the above link to learn the rest of the story.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Florence Smith was born to James H. Smith and Florence Gulliver Smith on April 9, 1887 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Her father was a dentist in Little Rock and her mother taught piano and and worked as a schoolteacher and businesswoman. She was the first African American female composer to have a symphonic composition performed by a major American symphony orchestra. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra performed her "Symphony in E Minor" on June 15, 1933, under the direction of Frederick Stock. The work was later performed at the Chicago World's Fair as part of the Century of Progress Exhibition. Click on the above website link above to learn the details about Florence Smith Price.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Lemuel Haynes was another black who served during the American Revolution. Clink on the above link to read the story. He was the first black ordained by a mainstream Protestant Church in the United States.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Last year Glenn Beck featured on "Founder's Fridays" on Fox News two programs about "African American Founders". Beck featured guests that spoke about black Americans that fought in the American Revolutionary War. Crispus Attucks was one of those people. He was considered one of the first casualties during the American Revolution which was the "Boston Massacre". Attucks is one of the first blacks I'll be featuring on Black History Month who fought for the American Revolution. I'll be featuring other blacks who fought for the American Revolution in the next two weeks.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Egypt is in an uproar. Egyptians have been protesting for 18 days in the streets against the government ran by Hosni Mubarak. Unemployment is high in Egypt. The cause of these protests isn't exactly known, but there's speculation that the social networks such as Facebook and Twitter have fueled these protests. For the last 18 days, those that have been rioting in the streets have been calling for the resignation of Hosni Mubarak. Yesterday, Mubarak transferred power over to Egyptian Vice President Omar Suileman. As of this moment, Mubarak hasn't resigned. Here's more coverage of the story on Fox News.com

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has been out promoting his latest book. He's already been interviewed by Sean Hannity on Fox News and on his radio program. Tonight he'll be interviewed by Greta Van Susteran from "On the Record." The program will be aired on the Fox News Channel. Rumsfeld just says more of the same rubbish which doesn't amount to much.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

(Massachusetts Historical Society) Last week I introduced two poems that was penned by Phillis Wheatley. Today I'm going to present a brief background about her. Phillis Wheatley was the author of the first book of poetry by an African-American, published in London in 1773. Prior to the book's debut, her first published poem, "On Messrs Hussey and Coffin," appeared in 1767 in the Newport Mercury. In 1770, her elegy on the death of George Whitefield, a celebrated evangelical Methodist minister who had traveled through the American colonies, drew international attention and the particular interest of Selina Hastings, the Countess of Huntingdon. Whitefield had been the Countess's personal chaplain. Wheatley published numerous individual poems in addition to her book, "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral," but a proposed second volume of poetry never appeared, and the manuscript was lost after her death in 1784.

Wheatley was born in West Africa about 1753. She was named for the slave ship, the Phillis, that brought her to Boston on July 11, 1761, and the Wheatley family who purchased her from the slave Trader "John Avery." John Wheatley was a prominent Boston merchant with a wholesale business, real estate, warehouses, wharfage, and the schooner "London Packet." Susannah Wheatley was an ardent Christian and admirer of George Whitefield. A frail child between seven and eight years old, Phillis was chosen to be a domestic servant and companion to Mrs. Wheatley in her later years. Although she spoke no English upon her arrival in this country, she soon learned to be a precocious learner, and was tutored by the Wheatley's daughter Mary in English, Latin, history, geography, religion, and the Bible in particular. She was treated more as a member of the family than a servant or slave, and her education was that of a young woman in an elite Boston family. She was very well-acquainted with the classics, the Bible, and contemporary works, especially those of Alexander Pope, and these influences are readily apparent in her writing.

Phillis's debut volume of poetry was first proposed in 1772, but this early venture was unsuccessful, and eventually she turned to an English publisher for her "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral." In May of 1773 she accompanied the Wheatley's son Nathaniel to England, where plans for the publication had begun, but she was called home by the illness of Mrs. Wheatley, and departed before the book appeared in September. When she met many notables in London, she was unable to see the Countess of Huntingdon, who was away in Wales for the summer. Shortly after her return to Boston, Phillis was freed by her master, possibly under pressure from her English admirers. Mrs. Wheatley died in March 1774, and Phillis's life from that point was plagued by ill health and an unhappy marriage. She drew up proposals for a second volume of poetry which was never published, possibily because of wartime shortages in Boston. Her marriage in 1778 to John Peters, a free African American living in Boston, produced three children, two of whom died quickly. By 1784 she was living in a boardinghouse, and, in December of that year, she and her remaining child died and were buried in an unmarked grave.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Yesterday prior to the Super Bowl, Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly interviewed President Barack Obama. This is the second interview that O'Reilly has granted to President Obama. The first interview that O'Reilly conducted with Obama was when he was a Senator running for president in 2008. On the day following the conclusion of the Republican National Convention in September 2008, President Obama sat down with an interview with O'Reilly. O'Reilly was speaking with Obama yesterday about such issues as the situation in Egypt, the nation's deficit, the hardest thing about being president, and the issue about people hating the president. Personally I felt it was a weak interview which didn't really have any hard-hitting questions. However, his interview with President Obama was no more disappointing than the interviews that Radio talk show hosts Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity have granted to George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and to Donald Rumsfeld later this week. So I'm no more critical of O'Reilly than all these other media commentators. However, at the end of his interview he made a statement that I thought was interesting. He told Obama that he hoped that Obama thought that he (O'Reilly) was being fair to him. O'Reilly mentioned to Obama that he disagreed with him sometimes.

Throughout the years that I've listened to O'Reilly both on radio and television, he would often state that he tries to be fair when it comes to interviewing or analyzing politicians. He brought up an important point that deserves a much-needed response. My reply to O'Reilly when it comes to being fair to elected officials is simply to apply the rules of accountability regardless of political party or political ideology. I've noticed over the years it's much easier for commentators to criticize those on the other side whom they vehemently disagree with. I've seen commentators on the Left such as Keith Olbermann, formerly on MSNBC, criticize Republicans and conservatives. I've also seen radio personalities such as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity criticize liberals and Democrats. However, when it comes to commentators criticizing politicians of their own political party who make the claim their political philosophy is the same as theirs, it's a different story. However, it's the role of the media when it comes to interviewing elected officials or providing analysis of elected officials to be impartial and show no favoritism. Sadly, that doesn't happen. Throughout the history of the media in America, there's always been partiality shown to politicians that are of the same political persuasion as the media is. When I was very young I can recall the media bashing conservatives and Republicans but wouldn't hold their own party accountable when they were committing the same acts or worse than Republicans were. Sad to say, I've seen conservative media figures not hold former President George W. Bush or members of his administration accountable when Bush was president.

I've listened to many in the media the past couple of years levy criticism to conservative media figures such as Rush Limbaugh, for example, who are always constantly criticizing Obama. I've heard liberal pundits claim that conservatives are always bashing Obama and don't have anything nice to say about him. The problem with many conservative media figures is they failed to hold the Bush administration accountable for his actions when he was president. I recall both Bush and Cheney being interviewed by Limbaugh and Hannity. Limbaugh and Hannity never posed questions of accountability to both political figures when they were in the White House. That's not right. You can't criticize Obama if you won't be impartial and hold Bush and the Republican Congress accountable for many of their misdeeds several years ago. Favoritism hurts the media's cause. A good reporter or a good commentator will try to avoid partiality. If you claim you adhere to conservative, constitutional principles, it's imperative that the Republicans' feet be put to the fire. America's path to socialism began long before Obama became president. The Bush administration placed America on the path to socialism. However, you didn't hear many critical comments from many "conservative" media figures concerning Bush not abiding by the Constitution. He led this nation into two botched wars which are presently being continued in the Obama administration. Bush failed to close our borders, ran up the deficit, grew government, bailed out the mortgage industry, etc. There were numerous issues for Hannity and Limbaugh to criticize Bush over. It doesn't help their cause when they criticize Obama and weren't impartial with Bush. If you are a true constitutional conservative, you must stand up to elected officials regardless of political party or ideology. The truth is at stake. America is in flames. We can't afford a partial media. Those evil deeds which are being done in secret must be exposed. Conservatives in the media must lead the way and hold Republicans accountable. If Limbaugh and Hannity held Bush accountable for what took place during his administration, then maybe some of the things that took place during the Bush administration wouldn't have occurred if questions of accountability were posed to them. Of course, the argument there would be that Hannity and Limbaugh or conservative media figures would no longer have access to Republicans. That's probably true for the most part. However, what good is it for conservative media figures to have access to politicans if they won't ask questions of accountability? It's worthless. I would rather not hear conservative media figures interviewing politicians at all if they won't hold politicians accountable for their actions.

Today is the centennial of Ronald Reagan's birthday. He was born on February 6, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois. I have posted an assortment of YouTube video clip postings which are a tribute to the life and career of Ronald Reagan. None of these videos are in any particular order. At the end I posted a few pictures of Ronald Reagan, his first wife, Jane Wyman, and their two children, Maureen and Michael.

Tomorrow, February 6, 2011 will mark the centennial of Ronald Reagan's birthday. Ronald Reagan was born 100 years ago on February 6, 1911. He was born in Tampico, Illinois. His parents were Jack and Nelle Reagan. He grew up in Dixon Illinois. Following graduation from high school, Reagan worked his way through Eureka College. He studied economics and sociology and played on Eureka's football team, and acted in school plays. He later moved to Iowa to work for WHO radio as a radio sports announcer. In 1937 Reagan went to Hollywood as a result of a screen test and was rewarded a contract with them. He became an actor. He was president of the Screen Actors Guild several times. During the years that he was president of the Screen Actors Guild, he was embroiled in disputes over the issue of communism in the film industry. As a result of his work with the Screen Actors Guild, his political views shifted from liberal to conservative. At one time he was a liberal Democrat who supported Harry Truman for president in 1948. He shifted political parties around 1964. He switched his registration from Democrat to Republican.

In 1940, President Reagan married Hollywood actress Jane Wyman. They had three children. Maureen, their oldest child was born in 1941. Michael Reagan was adopted by Ron and Jane in 1945. Ron and Jane both bore Christine in 1947, but she was stillborn. In 1948 Ron and Jane separated and the divorce became finalized in 1949. On March 4, 1952, Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis married. They both bore two children of their own: Patti and Ron. In 1954, Reagan was hired to star in a television series entitled, "General Electric Theater". That show ran from 1954 to 1962. During that time, Reagan had the responsibility to tour several General Electric plants around the nation. That was part of his job responsibility working under General Electric. In 1964 Reagan campaigned for Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater for president. Reagan's rise began with the famous speech he made on behalf of Goldwater entitled, "A Time for Choosing."

In 1966, Ronald Reagan beat incumbent Pat Brown to become the governor of California. He was the California governor for two terms. He was the 33rd governor of California. In 1976, Reagan ran in the Republican primary against President Gerald Ford. The contest was close, but Ford barely won the primary. In 1980, Reagan made another run for the presidency and this time he beat incumbent President Jimmy Carter. Reagan had inherited a terrible economy and the world scene wasn't good with the Islamic radicals taking over Iran after the Shah was overthrown. Sixty nine days following Reagan's inauguration, he was shot by John Hinckley, Jr. Thankfully, he survived the assassination attempt. Reagan was president for two terms. He restored America's confidence in itself. He set out to restore the confidence of the American people in our great nation. He set out to reduce America's reliance upon government. He had reduced the top marginal tax rate to help stimulate the economy. The nation experienced unprecedented economic growth. He worked to curb inflation. He increased defense spending by 35%. He promoted the policy of "peace through strength," which eventually helped break up communism in the Soviet Union and around the world.

Even though Reagan made his share of mistakes as president, he definitely has been the greatest president in my lifetime; definitely since the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963. He made America proud once again. He inculcated patriotism in the American people. That's definitely something that was greatly needed since the no-win Vietnam War in the 1960's. He believed in the greatness of America. He didn't give in to pessimism.

The next two days I'll be featuring YouTube videos giving tribute to the life of the late Ronald Reagan. Tomorrow will mark the centennial of Ronald Reagan's birth. I hope you enjoy the videos.

Friday, February 4, 2011

(Romans 1:18-28) "For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like unto corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;"

It amazes me how "enlightened" our society appears to be. We have Hollywood entertainers, politicians, children of politicians, and the movers and shakers of society that have jumped on the bandwagon of political correctness. They have made themselves an altar of political correctness and have bowed to it. As a result, you hear nothing but insanity from these people. It's disgusting. A case in point is Barbara Pierce Bush, the twin daughter of former president George W. Bush. She appeared on an ad recently entitlted, "New Yorkers for Marriage Equality." She was giving her full weight and support to "marriage equality" where people should have the privilege to marry those that they love. There are others that have joined the bandwagon as well. Barbara's mother and former First Lady, Laura Welch Bush, supports the idea of civil unions for homosexuals. She believes that if a couple love one another, regardless of their "sexual orientation" in their own words, should be entitled to join together and enjoy the same benefits as married heterosexual couples.

I'm going to make a very bold statement right here: ANYONE THAT BELIEVES THAT HOMOSEXUALITY IS NORMAL AND THAT HOMOSEXUALS SHOULD JOIN TOGETHER IN MARRIAGE NEED A LESSON ON SEX EDUCATION!!!!! You have it right. They need a lesson on the facts of life if they're so stupid to believe you can join two men or two women together. It's absolutely impossible. It's unseemly. It's unnatural. You can't fit two men together any more than you can fit two screws together. Two screws won't fit. A screw must fit into a bolt. That's the same with a couple. A couple requires a man and woman to be joined together in holy matrimony. A man and a woman can have a relationship with one another. That's Biblical. The anatomy of a woman's body and a man's body are designed to fit together. I'm not going to get more plain than that, even though I could if necessary. It's pathetic that we even should have to have a discussion such as this. Our public school systems spend millions of dollars teaching students sex education. I have some news for all the educators across the nation. Public school students know more about sex than what we give them credit for. We're educating the wrong group about sex. The ones that need to be taught sex education are those politicians, judges, and media figures that endorse gay rights and gay marriage. Anyone that has not been brainwashed by political correctness knows that homosexuality is unnatural. God never intended for two men to fall in love with one another. If that happens, that's perversion. God plays no part in that perversion. Many times men that fall under the influence of homosexuality happens as a result of some of the things that took place during their childhood. Some of these homosexual men were sexually abused as boys and as a result, they've been aroused by that wicked, ungodly lifestyle. However, there's nothing natural nor convenient about two men or two women engaging in sexual relations. Men's bodies aren't designed by God to have a sexual relationship with men. Women's bodies aren't designed by God to have a sexual relationship with women. God intended for man and woman to have a relationship with one another in the bond of marriage. God's purpose is for man and woman to complete one another in marriage and as a result to bear children. Homosexuals can't produce children. If our whole population of both men and women became sodomites, the species would become extinct. It would take a generation or two for the species to die out. Homosexuals can't produce children. That alone says that homosexuality is unnatural. God has never placed his stamp of approval on homosexuality. Not now. Not ever.

I can recall when the Massachusetts Supreme Court in November 2003 placed their stamp of approval on gay marriage. One of the first thoughts that came to my mind was they needed a lessson on sex education. I felt they needed to explain how two people of the same gender could have a relationship with one another. Common sense dictates that homosexuality is sin. Common sense dictates that homosexuality is unnatural. I know there will probably be some people who will read the above verses from Romans 1:18-28 and they will say they don't believe in God nor believe in the Bible. They will excuse their belief in gay marriage by saying they don't believe in the God that I believe in. They will say they don't see what the Bible says about homosexuality. I have one problem with that: two women nor two men fit together. You can't even intellectually justify sodomy. I don't care what you claim your religion is. You could be a Catholic, a Unitarian, a professing atheist, or an agnostic. It doesn't matter what kind of religion you subscribe to. Anyone that has any common sense will have to admit homosexuality isn't normal. It's not natural. A professing atheist should understand that. God said that homosexuals do that which is unnatural and inconvenient. Common sense alone dictates that homosexuality is wrong. Two men can't fit together no more than two screws can fit together. You don't have to have an education to know that. There used to be men who didn't have an equivalent of a second grade education several generations ago that had more sense that homosexuality was wrong. They knew if two men liked each other, they're strange. They don't have it together. There were people years ago who didn't even claim to be Christian that had more sense to know that homosexuality was a deviant lifestyle. You can thank former president Bill Clinton for bringing homosexuality into the forefront in today's society. The homosexual mafia started making major inroads into American society as a result of Clinton's endorsement of homosexuals being allowed to serve in the military in the 1992 presidential campaign. Since that time, the homosexual mafia has gained more influence into America's institutions.

I choose to believe that Barbara Bush, Meagan McCain, politicians such as Dennis Kucinich, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, etc. aren't stupid intellectually. I believe they've bowed on the altar of political correctness. They've sacrificed common sense, God and patriotism on the altar of political correctness. Instead, they've chosen to be a part of the politically correct crowd who embraces anything that's politically popular to the Progressives and globalists, whatever that may be. Gay marriage and gay rights are two of those issues. They decided the agenda is more important that common sense. They can tell me from dawn to dusk they don't believe in God or are agnostics. It doesn't matter. Nature cries out and says homosexuality isn't natural. Homosexuals can't reproduce. The human species will become extinct if everybody in the world decided to engage in this sordid, ungodly lifestyle. Homosexuality cannot be intellectually justified. You can't say you don't believe in the Bible as an excuse to support the homosexual lifestyle. Two men nor two women fit together. Two and two don't add up in regards to the homosexual lifestyle. It's just common sense.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Muse! Muse! Where shall I begin the spacious feildTo tell what curses unbeleif doth yeild?Thou who dost daily feel his hand, and rodDarest thy deny the Essence of a God!--If there's no heav'n, ah! whither wilt thou goMake thy Ilysium in the shades below?If there's no God from whom did all things SpringHe made the greatest and minutest ThingAngelic ranks no less his Power displayThan the least mite scarce visible to DayWith vast astonishment my soul is struckHave Reason'g powers thy darken'd breast forsook?The Laws deep graven by the hand of God,Seal'd with Immanuel's all-redeeming blood:This second point thy folly dares denyOn thy devoted head for vengeance cry---Turn then I pray thee from the dangerous roadRise from the dust and seek the mighty God.His is bright truth without a dark disguiseAnd his are wisdom's all beholding Eyes:With labour'd snares our Adversary greatWithholds from us the Kingdom and the seat.Bliss weeping waits thee, in Her arms to flyTo her own regions of felicity---Perhaps thy ignorance will ask us where?Go to the Corner stone he will declare.Thy heart in unbelief will harden'd growTho' much indulg'd in vicious pleasure nowThou tak'st unusual means; the path forebearUnkind to others to thy self Severe---Methinks I see the consequence thou'rt blindThy unbelief disturbs the peaceful Mind.The endless scene too far for me to treadToo great to utter from so weak a head.That man his maker's love divine might knowIn heaven's high firmament he placed his BowTo shew his covenant for ever sureTo endless Age unchanging to endure---He made the Heavens and earth that lasting SpringOf admiration! To whom dost thou bringThy grateful tribute? Adoration payTo heathen gods? Can wise Apollo sayTis I that saves thee from the deepest hell;Minerva teach thee all thy days to tell?Doth Pluto tell thee thou Shalt see the shade Of fell perdition for transgression made?Doth cupid in thy breast that warmth inspireTo love thy Brother, which is God's desire?Atheist! behold the wide extended skiesAnd wisdom infinite shall strike thine eyesMark rising Sol when far he spreads his RayAnd his commission read---To rule the DayAt night behold the silver Regent brightAnd her command to lead the train of NightLo! how the Stars all vocal in his praiseWitness his essence in celestial lays!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

On Thou bright jewel in my aim I striveTo comprehend thee. Thine own words declareWisdom is higher than a fool can reach.I cease to wonder, and no more attemptThine height t' explore, or fathom thy profound.But, O my soul, sink not into despair,Virtue is near thee, and with gentle handWould now embrace thee, hovers o'er thine head.Fain would the heav'n-born soul with her converse,Then seek, then court her for her promis'd bliss.Auspicious queen, thy heav'nly pinions spread,And lead celestial Chastity along;Lo! now her sacred retinue descends,Array'd in glory from the orbs above.Attend me, Virtue, thro' my youthful years!O leave me not to the false joys of time!But guide my steps to endless life and bliss.Greatness, or Goodness, say what I shall call thee,To give me an higher appellation still,Teach me a better strain, a nobler lay,O thou, enthron'd with Cherubs in the realms of day.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Beginning today and throughout the remainder of this month is Black History Month once again. It's an annual celebration of the achievements of black Americans as well as remembering the role of black Americans throughout American history. Black History Month grew out of "Negro History Week" by former historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent blacks.

Last year Glenn Beck hosted two Fox News television programs devoted to "African-American" founders of our country. He and guest David Barton were mentioning about blacks that served our country during the Revolutionary War. They mentioned several names of blacks that most Americans don't read about in their history books at school. In honor of Black History Month, I will devote some posts recognizing some famous blacks that fought in the American Revolutionary War. I'm also going to feature at least a couple of poems by Phillis Coates Weakley, a black poet from the eighteenth century. There will probably be a few other aspects of black history that I'll feature as well.

About Me

I am the type of person that likes to read, go to church, writing, emailing, go to the library, and enjoy life. I also enjoy walking out in the park as well. I also like basketball and watching softball teams play. I like traveling as well.